Mirror Flower, Water Moon
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Devastating attacks on strong shinigamis rock Karakura Town, but even more shocking is what happens when Ichigo is abducted and brought under Aizen's control...yaoi, mpreg...Kisuke/Ichigo, Renji/Byakuya
1. Dreaming

**Mirror Flower, Water Moon**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Still so pure and innocent, you do not see how I created you…how I molded you…how I built you from nothing. From beginning to end, you are mine. Your power has its root in me. And I have guided your steps all of this way. Have you come to realize why? Look at our reflection now…and know why I brought you to life.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Dreaming**

"Well," said Kisuke, leading Ichigo up the ladder and out of the training area, "It appears that your powers have reawakened. I would ask you whether that's a good or a bad thing, but looking at you, I can see that's not necessary. Obviously, you both desire and need them, or Zangetsu would not have reappeared in your inner world."

"Hai, Urahara-san," Ichigo said, smiling solemnly, "It appears that the ones I care about are determined to make protecting them a full-time, permanent job."

They reached the shop and passed through it, and into the dining room, where Tessai was just putting dinner on the table.

"Will you be staying for dinner, Kurosaki-kun? A few of your friends arrived while the two of you were training. I thought you might have seen Kuchiki-san when he went to watch for a bit, earlier."

"H-he?" mused Ichigo, "You mean…Byakuya?"

"Hai," said Tessai, nodding, "He and Abarai-san are staying with us while they prepare for a mission…and that's not all."

"Ichigo…" said a soft, feminine voice.

The ginger-haired youth caught his breath, remembering how she had faded as he slowly lost his powers…how all of them had disappeared.

I see his manners have not improved since we last met," commented Byakuya, his eyes betraying the slightest hint of greeting.

"Oh, and like eavesdropping on us and not showing yourself is good manners," Ichigo muttered in reply.

"Hey, don't insult my taichou like that," objected Renji.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"I told you that you should stop calling me that," said Byakuya.

"Well," said Renji, "It's still technically true."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ichigo, "Renji! Did you leave the Gotei 13?"

Renji laughed heartily and Rukia smiled.

"Renji passed his taichou's exam," she announced, "His official promotion ceremony isn't for a month, but he is going to be the new taichou of the fifth division."

"Really?" grinned Ichigo, "How did you manage that?"

"I got some good training while we were all in Hueco Mundo fighting for our lives," explained the redhead, "and after Aizen was sealed away, Taichou…"

"Byakuya."

Renji blushed.

"B-byakuya mentored me to make sure I was ready."

A sly smile crept onto Ichigo's face.

I have a feeling that's not all he taught you, Renji…

"He lets you call him that?" he asked instead of revealing his thoughts.

"Hell, you've been getting away with it for years," said Renji, trying to brush it off, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Nii-sama and Renji are seeing each other now," Rukia said, still smiling, "Renji lives with us at Kuchiki Manor."

"Huh," Ichigo mused, smirking slightly, "Congratulations, Renji."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed slightly in warning.

"Ah, Ichigo," Renji said quickly, "we don't want dinner to get cold. We should…"

"Oh, yeah," Ichigo said, sitting down.

Tessai brought the last of the food to the table and sat down between Ururu and Jinta, facing Byakuya and Renji. Kisuke sat next to Ichigo on one end and Youichi sat on the other.

"So," said Ichigo as they began to eat, "What brings you and Byakuya to Karakura Town?" Ichigo asked, surprised at how normal it felt to be back together with them again.

"There has been a disturbance in the reiatsu in the area, one that may belong to a high level hollow or some other creature," said Byakuya, "It has been concealing itself somewhere near here, but has been sensed several times by the Research And Development Institute. A second division operative was sent, but disappeared. His reiatsu has not been sensed since shortly after his arrival here. You should be aware that it has been sensed near this shop on a few occasions, and has also been sensed near your home."

"Yeah," Renji said, taking a bite of rice, "So we were wondering if you had seen anything odd."

Ichigo shook his head.

"I haven't,b ut then, I have only just regained my powers. My senses aren't yet fully working and I suck at sensing reiatsu anyway."

"Ah," said Renji, smiling ruefully, "that's still my biggest shortcoming too."

"But it is something you can improve on…both of you," Byakuya said sedately, "It only needs practice, which you are sure to obtain on this mission, Renji."

As the meal continued, talk shifted to other matters and became more jovial. A bottle of sake and dessert helped the friends fall into more of a jovial mood, and by the time the meal was over, Ichigo was very full and extremely sleepy. He got up from the table, groaning softly at the thought of having to walk home. Kisuke caught his eye, smiling.

"You look beat," he said quietly as Byakuya and Renji disappeared into their bedroom and the children helped Tessai clear the dishes away, "You are welcome to spend the night here if you like."

"Ah,thanks Urahara-san," Ichigo said sleepily, "but the walk will be good for me. And besides, I have to be up early in the morning. I have a lot to do."

"Then let me walk you back," said Kisuke, opening the door and following him outside.

They walked down to the end of the street and into the large park that bordered the river and led back to Ichigo's neighborhood. Ichigo felt the shopkeeper's eyes touch him more than a few times and sensed that he seemed somewhat tense.

"What's bothering you, Urahara-san?" he asked quietly, looking up at the stars, "You aren't spooked by the creature roaming around here, are you? I'm sure it would be no match for you, ne? But why are you worried about me? I have my powers back now."

"You have just gotten your powers back, and remember that you are not operating with full reiatsu yet. And…I do have some concerns about that creature. Whatever it is, it seems to be focused on you…maybe not just you, but…"

Ichigo frowned.

"Why would anyone be interested in me now?" he asked, "We haven't made a show of my regaining my powers, and what interest would a hollow have in me? My reiatsu is still poor."

"It may not be a hollow. There is too much we don't know about this creature. And until we do know more, I want you to be careful. I already talked to your dad about this and he was quick to make sure that your sisters were protected, but he said that he would trust me to look out for you."

Ichigo chuckled.

"My dad said that? I thought you two didn't get along."

"Well, we aren't the best of friends," admitted the shopkeeper, "I guess he didn't appreciate me getting you into so much trouble, with the whole 'saving Rukia' thing. I think he liked how simple it was when you were just a kid who could see ghosts and you didn't yet have your powers. You have to admit, things have been crazy since then and much of the responsibility for that rests on my shoulders. I created the hougyoku and started the Aizen mess. I used Rukia to hide the hogyoku, making her a target. I helped you regain your shinigami powers after Byakuya nearly killed you and I sent you to Soul Society to save Rukia. I won't even start on the whole opening the garganta and sending you to Hueco Mundo thing."

"You know, Urahara-san," Ichigo said thoughtfully, "Maybe you did a few things you shouldn't have, but who doesn't? I was determined to save Rukia. Then, I was determined to go to Hueco Mundo to save Orihime. I would have found my way there and into the middle of that mess one way or another."

Kisuke chuckled.

"Yeah, you probably would have," he commented.

They stopped for a moment at the side of the river, a short distance from the youth's house, admiring the full moon and its reflection in the water.

"Ichigo," Kisuke said, his eyes on the water, "I'm going to ask that you be on guard and stay close to your family until this situation is resolved. I know you can take care of yourself, but your powers are in flux and are not reliable as of yet. We'll want to spend some time training to bring you up to full power and get you fighting ready."

"Why? Are you that worried I'm going to be fighting again that soon? Don't worry, Urahara-san. Aizen was tougher than anything that is going to show up here, and he in prison, bound and sealed away. He isn't going anywhere."

"Yeah, well your powers were a lot stronger when he was on the loose, and while you are in this phase of the redemption of your powers, you are vulnerable."

"I'll be careful," Ichigo promised, noticing the way the moon was now reflecting in the shopkeeper's eyes.

He felt a soft stirring inside, looking at Kisuke in the moonlight like that. And he was sure that he saw something, some glimmer of the return of that emotion in the shopkeeper's eyes. It might just be friendly affection, but…

"Well," said Kisuke, interrupting his thoughts, "I have to get back. Byakuya and Renji are going to share what information the Research and Development Department and Secret Mobile Corps gave them about the missing agent and the creature they sensed and I'll be strategizing with them over that."

"Okay…I uh…guess I'll see you around later then," Ichigo said, turning towards home.

He had only taken a step when he heard Kisuke's voice again behind him.

"Why don't you come back to the shop tomorrow? After I finish talking to Byakuya and Renji, we can do some more training."

Ichigo couldn't contain the smile this brought to his face. He didn't turn, but could feel the other's questioning eyes.

Something is definitely up…

"Sure thing," he said softly.

Kisuke smiled and nodded, then watched as Ichigo left the park and walked up the street to his house. He went inside and closed and locked the door behind him. A few moments later, the light went on in his room.

Kisuke sighed softly, thinking back to how Ichigo had looked, standing beside the river, with the moon reflecting in the water behind him. For the millionth time, he wished that he could bring himself to act on what he had been feeling for the longest time. And he was genuinely surprised that Ichigo had not sensed it. But love, Kisuke thought, could be hard to see when it came on gradually as this one had, and it was even less likely to be seen if one cautiously withheld his heart, so as to hide it.

And Urahara Kisuke was a master at concealing his heart.

He had become so good at it, in fact, that Ichigo might remain forever in his orbit, always close, but just missing the small signs…the extra moment he held the youth's eyes when they talked, the way his breath slowed to a crawl, nearly stopping when Ichigo touched him, for whatever reason, the instant smile his presence brought to the shopkeeper's lips, and the way he had had to fight to keep the joy from his eyes when Zangetsu had reappeared and he knew that Ichigo was really regaining his powers. Not that he wouldn't have loved Ichigo, powers or no, but having his powers renewed the longstanding unspoken agreement between them that for as long as Ichigo had shinigami powers, Kisuke would mentor him in their use. So, Ichigo regaining his powers meant that he wouldn't have to search for reasons to see Ichigo. The youth would come to the shop regularly to train.

Sighing again, the shopkeeper turned away from Ichigo's house and walked slowly back to the park. It was late now, and clouds had moved in, in advance of a storm that was supposed to arrive before morning. As he walked along the river's edge, light sprinkles began to drift down from the sky, tickling his senses and cooling his skin. He was nearly to the end of the park, when he felt an odd sense of eyes watching him. He stopped and looked around, but could not see or sense anyone. Shaking his head, he turned back towards the shop.

He never saw the blade that slashed across his chest and sent him crashing down the embankment and into the river.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo settled into his bed and dropped off to sleep quickly. All of the testing of his powers had drained him, and the merriment of the evening with Rukia and the others had left him full, happy and exhausted. He had especially enjoyed the walk back to his house with Kisuke. He felt a soft jolt inside, thinking again about what he had felt in the presence of his friend and mentor. There was a lot of emotion between them, feelings which had grown slowly over time. He sensed that he was not the only one feeling them, but as Kisuke never gave any sign of a desire to explore those feelings, Ichigo was at a loss for exactly what to do. And for a while, it had seemed better to just let the feelings go. But with the regaining of his powers, things that had nearly been forgotten were becoming real again, and what he was feeling for Kisuke was real.

He wondered as he drifted off to sleep if they would ever do anything about those feelings.

He opened his eyes and found himself in Soul Society. The moon shined full overhead and the soft sound of the breeze washed over him. He stood at the top of a small range of mountains, overlooking the Seireitei and with a view of Sokyoku hill. He gazed out across the Seireitei, wondering what had made him come back. Usually, he only came to the Seireitei when there was a crisis. He didn't remember there being anything like that.

_And yet, he was here._

_He flash stepped down from the mountains and made his way into the Seireitei, frowning thoughtfully as the guards at the gate acted as thought they couldn't see him. He walked down the empty streets, not sure where he was going, or what it was that was making his feet move in that direction._

"_Ichigo," said a tranquil, male voice._

_The youth stopped and looked around._

"_Hello?" he said softly._

_There was no answer…_

_He waited quietly for several minutes, listening, but eventually shook his head and moved on. He found himself entering a large, beautiful garden. At first, he thought it must be Kuchiki Manor, but then he realized that this place was strange to him. He frowned and turned to leave, but was stopped as he heard the voice again._

"_Kurosaki Ichigo."_

_It had a tonal quality a bit like Byakuya's, but he knew it wasn't the noble. And when he looked up, he wasn't surprised that the face of the man he saw standing in the distance was one he had never seen before. No, the pale face, black hair and almond shaped green eyes were not familiar at all._

_But for some reason, the voice was._

"Ichigo," he said again, "You have finally heard me."

Ichigo came awake suddenly as someone staggered through his window and fell ingloriously onto the bed on top of him.

"What the…?" he began, sitting up and moving the soaked person to the side.

He turned on the light and was left breathless at the sight of Kisuke, lying nearly senseless on his bed, soaking wet and bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.

"Kisuke!" he shouted, "What the hell? What happened?"

The shopkeeper's mouth moved, but nothing came out. He gripped the front of the youth's nightshirt, groaning as he began to lose consciousness. A moment later, he collapsed against Ichigo.

"Urahara-san! Kisuke!" Ichigo cried.

He jumped to his feet and lifted the shopkeeper into his arms. Flash stepping down from his window, he raced down the deserted streets, his eyes intense and all of his concentration on reaching his destination quickly. He reached an apartment building and jumped up onto a balcony, then slipped inside.

"Orihime!" he called frantically.

The girl dashed into the room he was in.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she exclaimed, then she caught her breath sharply at the sight of the injured shinigami.

"Orihime, Kisuke's been hurt badly. I need you to heal him."

Orihime nodded and joined him at Kisuke's side, sending the golden oval over Kisuke's body and invoking her powers. Ichigo knelt next to her, realizing only now that he was still in his pajamas, and they were wet and covered with Kisuke's blood.

"There's some of my brother's things in the next room," Orihime said, noticing his discomfort.

"Thanks," Ichigo said softly, "but never mind that for now. Just tell me, is he going to be okay?"

The uncertainty in her eyes left Ichigo with a hard chill inside.

_Damn it! What the hell could have done this to him?_


	2. Fallen Petals

**Chapter 2: Fallen Petals**

**(Since it's already May 1 in some places, let's get the party started! Lots of Aizen all of May for AIZENMONTH! Aizen the good, the bad and the worse than wicked. Here we go!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_I know the protective forces around you, and one-by-one they will fall. They will fall until all has gone silent around you and the only voice that reaches you is mine._**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya knelt before the captain commander, his head slightly bowed as he gave his report.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, word has reached us about the attack on Urahara Kisuke. What is Kisuke's current condition?"

Byakuya's lips tightened slightly.

"He remains unconscious," the noble reported, "Although his reiatsu has been restored and his injuries have been healed, he continues to remain in a reduced state. I am of the opinion that Inoue Orihime has counteracted what she can and that a different approach might be needed. Due to the severity of the attack and the power level of the victim, I suggest that Unohana taicho be sent to assist us in waking Urahara. Our investigation is incomplete without knowing what he knows."

"Very well, then," said Sotaicho, "I will see that she is dispatched at once to join you in Karakura Town. I want you to return at once. Continue your investigation and bring me regular reports."

"Hai, Sotaicho."

"And Byakuya…"

"Sir?"

"How is Abarai fukutaicho handling his part of the investigation?"

The hint of a smile touched the noble's lips.

"Flawlessly," he said quietly.

"That is good to hear," said the captain commander, "but it is hardly unexpected when considering his drive to succeed and your own commitment to his progress. It will be…gratifying, I think, when he is officially promoted."

"Yes. Both Renji and I are looking forward to that."

"And in the mean time," Sotaicho went on, "be mindful of the need for discretion. I do not take issue with your decision to see your fukutaicho romantically. Just, as always, see to it that the two of you are not distracted from your investigation. This enemy who you are tracking is dangerous. Anyone who can take down a taicho level…"

"I understand, sir," Byakuya said, nodding, "and both Renji and I will be mindful of your warning."

"Go then," Sotaicho said, sending the noble flash stepping away.

He looked down for a moment at the place where Byakuya had been.

"And be careful," he added softly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"This is definitely where it happened," said Renji, dropping to one knee and gazing down at the large splashes of blood on the ground, "There's blood everywhere."

"We need to search the area thoroughly," Yoruichi said in a deeply serious tone, "Chad and Uryuu, you take the north side of the trail. Rukia and Ichigo can search the south. Renji and I will take the park around the crime scene and look for where Kisuke left the river."

She waited as the others moved slowly away, then motioned for Renji to join her. The two began by marking off the area around the scene of the attack and searching for any signs of the other being, who had attacked the shopkeeper.

"Odd," Yoruichi said, pausing to extend her senses and sweep the area around her.

The chirping of birds and people's laughter sounded softly, filling the void as she considered her words.

"Did you find something?" Renji asked.

"Maybe," the cat woman said, blinking, "It seems that there is reiatsu in the area. I can sense it, but I cannot hone in on the source, or really identify it."

"So, it has been masked?" Renji asked, "Taicho…Byakuya and I have been working on reiatsu masking recently. He's pretty much a master at it."

"He should be," Yoruichi said, smiling warmly, "I taught him everything he knows about it."

"Ah," said Renji, "That's right. He told me that you were made responsible for his training for a time."

Yoruichi laughed softly.

"True. I don't think Byakuya really enjoyed the training, but I must say that as an apprentice, he certainly did learn at a speed nearly faster than his flash step. Flash step, stealth training, investigative and battle strategies…Byakuya was driven to succeed. But then, he was well aware of the expectations the elders had for him…and not just the elders, but Kuchiki Ginrei. When Soujun did not achieve bankai, his hopes fell onto Byakuya to succeed him. He was never disappointed in his son, though. Power like Byakuya's doesn't manifest itself with every generation."

"No," agreed Renji, "Even among the noble class, it is rare."

"Where is Byakuya-bo, anyway?" Yoruichi asked, dropping to her knees to take some readings near the attack site, "I'd think he'd be out here with his nose to the ground, searching with us."

"Hey, don't insult my taicho," Renji said, shaking his head, "You know he hates it when you and Kisuke call him that."

He broke off, looking down at the blood and swallowing hard.

"Yoruichi-san," he said in a softer voice, "You think Kisuke will be all right? I mean…he's healed now. He should wake up soon, right?"

Yoruichi sighed.

"He should," she answered softly, "and as soon as he does, we need to find out what he might have seen."

She looked up as a flash step sounded nearby and Byakuya suddenly appeared in front of them. Yoruichi smiled.

"I was just asking Renji where you were," she said, standing.

"I was called to the first division to make a direct report to Sotaicho," said Byakuya, joining the two and blushing slightly as Renji slipped an arm around him and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Welcome back, Taicho."

"Renji, it's…"

"Byakuya," the redhead laughed.

"You know you shouldn't do that," Byakuya said as Yoruichi giggled, "We _are_ on duty."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry," Renji said, sounding somewhat less than penitent, "You know I just can't resist. Besides, who's around to see. Yoruichi doesn't mind, right?"

"Of course not," the cat woman said, nearly purring, "It's good to see Byakuya-bo looking so content."

"Will you _please_ desist?" Byakuya asked in an annoyed tone.

Yoruichi laughed again, then sobered.

"So, what did Sotaicho have to say about all of this?" she asked.

"He said little," Byakuya reported, "but I sense that he is deeply concerned. Kisuke was a taicho, and he remains a taicho level shinigami with excellent skills. The one who did this is very powerful, very dangerous."

"Do you have any ideas as to why Kisuke was targeted?"

"I have a suspicion."

"And?"

"This one has been sensed around the shop and in the area of Ichigo's home. The occurrences started a few months ago, but at first, they were fleeting and hard to trace. More recently, the reiatsu has become more trackable, suggesting that the perpetrator may have been weaker at first, but is growing in strength."

"That doesn't bode well," Renji said, frowning, "If the person is already taicho level…"

"Then we need to find and stop him before he grows any more powerful."

Yoruichi sighed.

"It's going to be difficult," she said resignedly, "Whoever did this knew just how to clean up the crime scene. None of us has found anything. And we can't ask Kisuke any questions until he wakes. But no one knows when that will be."

"It may be soon," Byakuya told her, "When I met with Sotaicho, I requested that Unohana taicho be assigned to assist with Kisuke."

Yoruichi gave him a look of surprise and gratitude.

"You did that?" she mused.

"Are you surprised, Senpai?" Byakuya said quietly, "For all that Kisuke and I clash verbally, I do not wish him ill. After all, if not for him, Aizen Sousuke might have succeeded in wiping out this city and creating the king's key. I respect Urahara-san's resourcefulness…and I do hope he wakes soon. Not only for the purpose of explaining what happened, but because my Senpai is so distressed over his injury.

"Arigato, Byakuya-san," she said softly.

"All right, you two," Renji chuckled, "Enough with the mushy stuff. I think I'll be sick. I think I like it better when you two _don't_ get along!"

"Hmmm…" said Byakuya, "This from the man who couldn't keep his hands…erm…lips off of me as soon as I appeared."

"That's different," Renji objected.

"I see," said the noble.

"Well," said Yoruichi, "We have done all we can for now. Is Unohana taicho going to arrive soon?"

"She should have arrived at the shop already."

Yoruichi nodded and looked off in the direction that Ichigo and Rukia had gone.

"Then since there's nothing more we can do here, we should see how Kisuke is doing."

"I'll go find Ichigo and Rukia," offered Renji.

"And I'll find Chad and Uryuu," said Yoruichi.

They disappeared in flash steps, leaving Byakuya alone at the site of the attack. The noble walked slowly around the area, his senses extended. He was able to sense right away the presence of suspicious reiatsu in the area, but despite his abilities and experience, he seemed unable to shatter whatever force was protecting it. Frowning, he turned to look in the direction Renji had gone. He caught his breath softly as he suddenly realized someone was standing in front of him.

It was impossible that he wouldn't have sensed something. With his training, he should not have been taken by surprise. And with his speed, he should also have been able to draw his weapon, but the other slashed at him so swiftly, it was almost as though time had been oddly altered.

Blood exploded around the two, staining their clothes and raining down on the place where Kisuke had fallen. Byakuya's shocked eyes registered a tall, pale man with black hair and green eyes. The last thing he glimpsed was a zanpakuto. Then everything darkened around him and he dropped to the ground.

The other man stood over the fallen taicho, gazing down at him solemnly. He raised his zanpakuto again.

"Perhaps this is not the most honorable way for you to die, Kuchiki taicho," the other said softly, "But I cannot have you interfering in my plans. You must be eliminated."

He brought the weapon down swiftly, aiming to separate the noble's head from his body, but as he did, found his sword crossed by another. His eyes met the dark, determined eyes of a masked warrior.

"Senbonzakura," the green-eyed man said, "I should have suspected. But you will not be able to save him. He is already nearly gone. And you are about to join him!"

Senbonzakura raised his blade and turned it point down. But as he started to release it, the man before him disappeared. The zanpakuto spirit looked around in confusion.

"Where are you, you stealthy bastard?" he hissed, "Come out and fight!"

He sensed an attack coming, but unable to see his opponent, he couldn't defend properly. And he didn't know if the other was attacking him or if he was going to give Byakuya the finishing blow. He threw himself down on Byakuya's body, shielding the two of them with all of his strength. The next moment, something struck the shield and shattered it, then Senbonzakura cried out in pain as the other's blade slashed him. Power exploded around them and the green-eyed man stepped back and disappeared.

A moment later, the search team burst out of the trees and flash stepped to the fallen noble's side. Stunned eyes took in the unbelievable sight of Kuchiki Byakuya lying facedown in a widening pool of blood with half of his blade on the ground on one side of him, and the hilt and remaining portion on the other.

"Byakuya!" cried Renji, dropping to his knees next to his injured taicho, "Byakuya!"

As the others watched in horror, he turned the noble over and gathered him in his arms. He said his taicho's name more softly and touched his unnaturally white face. Byakuya's dark eyes opened for a moment, and a pale, bloodied hand reached up to brush Renji's cheek. He tried to speak, but then his eyelids fluttered and he lost consciousness. The hand on Renji's cheek slid slowly downward and fell away.

"B-byakuya," Renji whispered, his eyes widening.

"Nii-sama…" Rukia managed, her hands gripping Ichigo, as though to hold her up.

The next moment, Renji swept the injured taicho into his arms and flash stepped away with Rukia and Ichigo on his heels. Yoruichi and the others cast worried gazes in the direction they had gone, but didn't follow.

"We need to carefully examine this area," Yoruichi said in a low voice, "Whoever did this, just managed to take down Kuchiki Byakuya in one hit. It looks to me as though he wasn't even able to draw his weapon."

"But his weapon is out," objected Uryuu.

"Yes," acknowledged Yoruichi, picking up the pieces of Senbonzakura, "but did you notice the position? If he was holding his blade and fell facedown, it wouldn't have fallen that way. This suggests that Senbonzakura had manifested and was trying to protect Byakuya, probably from a finishing blow."

"It could do that on its own?" mused Chad, "I thought that…"

"Usually, the shinigami must be holding the weapon to make the spirit manifest, but after the appearance of the zanpakuto, Muramasa, and his use of powers on the other zanpakutos, some retained the ability to occasionally manifest upon their masters' need. Likely, Senbonzakura sensed the sudden injury to Byakuya, and manifested to protect him."

Yoruichi frowned, staring down at the pieces of the weapon in her hands.

"Kami…" she whispered, "I don't feel his reiatsu."

Gripping the pieces of Senbonzakura, Yoruichi flash stepped away in the direction Renji had gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Orihime and Unohana taicho turned in surprise as Renji suddenly flash stepped into the room, carrying Byakuya over his shoulder, and followed by Rukia and Ichigo. Orihime gasped in dismay at the amount of blood that coated Renji and the man he held.

"Orihime, Unohana taicho!" Renji cried, "Taicho's been hurt badly. He needs healing, fast."

He set the noble carefully on the floor in front of them and the two women dropped down at his side. The healer's face paled.

"There are no life signs," Unohana taicho said quietly, "He will require your reject power to be saved. Hurry."

"Nii-sama," Rukia whispered shakily.

"He'll be okay now," Ichigo said, wrapping an arm around the distraught shinigami, "Orihime has brought me back from death more than once. Hang in there."

Orihime leaned forward and started to activate her healing power, but stopped and stared as Yoruichi flash stepped into the room, carrying Byakuya's broken zanpakuto. She quickly set the pieces at the noble's side and turned to the frozen girl.

"Raise your power now!" she cried, "Hurry, or we'll lose both of them!"


	3. Drowning

**Chapter 3: Drowning**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Claws reach up from down in the dark

_**Wanting to pull me under**_

Trying to pull me under

_**Curl and tighten around my heart**_

_**Leaving me there to wonder**_

_**Baby, I have to wonder**_

_**Am I drowning? Falling under your spell?**_

_**Drowning, Open the gates to hell**_

_**I'm drowning…It isn't a sin**_

Drowning, Try to scream, but the water comes in…

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo sat silently next to Yoruichi at the unconscious Kisuke's side, his eyes straying now and then to the motionless Byakuya, who still lay beneath the golden oval of Orihime's healing power. A teary-eyed Rukia held Renji's hand, and the redhead stared down at his lover with a devastated expression. Unohana taicho looked from Byakuya and Senbonzakura to Kisuke, her eyes dark with worry.

"Will you tell me again all you remember of each man's injury?" she asked, "We need to gather all of our information if we are to learn what manner of creature we are dealing with."

Ichigo shook his head.

"I was with Kisuke right before he was attacked. He was on edge, you know? That's why he didn't want me walking home alone. He was worried about the creature that has been sensed around here. And that's why Byakuya and Renji were here. They were assigned to find out what it was."

"I am aware of their mission," Unohana acknowledged, "Go on."

"We got to my house okay. We didn't sense anything. I left him outside and went up to my room. I went to bed and was in the middle of a dream, when Kisuke busted in through my window and fell onto me. Scared the hell out of me. He was all wet…and covered in blood. It looked like he was trying to say something, but I couldn't understand. I just took him and ran for Orihime's house. Kami, I didn't even think about the fact that the thing that did this was probably right there watching!"

"That is very probably correct," the healer said softly, "You are fortunate that it did not harm you. Now, you say you were sleeping? Having a dream?"

"Y-yeah."

"Sometimes beings with dark spirit energy around them can cause nightmares, or the creatures, themselves can invade human dreams. Do you remember what the dream was about?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck and thought carefully.

"Ah…I remember that I was in Soul Society. I was in some mountains, looking at Sokyoku hill off in the distance. I came down off the hill and walked into the Seireitei, right past the guards at the gate without anyone seeing me. It gets fuzzy after that. I remember a man's voice. It sounded sort of like Byakuya's, but different. I remember a garden and…and a man…green eyes. That's all."

"Hmmm…"

"Sorry," Ichigo said, shaking his head again, "I wish I could have given you something useful."

"That's all right. Now, did any of the rest of you see or sense anything around the time Kuchiki taicho was attacked?"

"Chad, Uryuu, Rukia and I were all off searching for clues," said Ichigo, "We didn't see or sense anything until we sensed the power of the attack."

"The power that struck Byakuya was intense and occurred very suddenly," added Yoruichi, "He was taken down in a single blow. There was a second attack, but from the position of Byakuya's zanpakuto, Senbonzakura manifested, likely in response to Byakuya being cut down, and he was also broken in a single blow."

"Did Kuchiki taicho say anything or have any moments of lucidity?"

"He opened his eyes for a moment," Renji said in a shaky voice, "but he didn't say anything."

"Hmmm…" mused the healer, "There is appallingly little to work with. I have sent for a team of secret mobile corps to scan the sight."

She sighed softly, studying the two unconscious men.

"Urahara-san will probably wake soon. I have raised his consciousness and he is showing signs of recovery."

Her eyes fell on the sixth division taichou and her frown deepened.

"Kuchiki taicho is comatose at the moment, and he will require follow up surgery to repair the damage to his spirit centers, so I am having him evacuated to the Seireitei."

"Will Nii-sama be all right?" asked Rukia in a trembling voice.

Unohana placed an arm around the young woman's shoulders.

"We will do everything we can to see that he recovers fully. You must remain hopeful, Kuchiki Rukia."

Rukia nodded and rubbed her eyes.

"I'll be going back with you," she said softly, "Is that all right?"

"Of course," said the healer, "I will let your taicho know you are with me until further notice."

"Arigato, Unohana taicho."

She turned to Renji.

"Will you be coming back to the Seireitei?" Rukia asked.

Renji gazed down at Byakuya with conflicted eyes.

"N-no."

"Renji?" queried Rukia, her eyes widening.

"I want you to stay with him," Renji said, his hand closing into a fist, "I'm going to find out who did this. They're not going to get away with this!"

Rukia swallowed hard and nodded. Their heads turned as the secret mobile corps and Squad Four evacuation team arrived. The secret mobile corps leader spoke briefly with Unohana taicho, then left with his men for the attack site. The evacuation team carefully prepared Byakuya for the trip back, then lifted him and carried him into the senkaimon with Unohana taicho and Rukia following.

"Damn!" hissed Renji as the senkaimon closed, "I hope he'll be okay. I feel awful, not going back to wait with Rukia, but…"

"But I'll need you here," Yoruichi said quietly, "Renji, you realize that you and I are still possible targets. Tessai too, needs to be wary. And realize as well, why Kisuke and Byakuya might have been targeted."

"They were both investigating this creature," Ichigo said softly.

"They are also both closely linked with you. Kisuke is linked to you through being your mentor…and Byakuya was not only investigating, he is also Rukia's brother, and that connects him to you as well. And Kisuke noticed that the locations in which the creature was sensed were always placed between the shop and your home."

"So…this is about _me_?" Ichigo said in a bewildered voice, "I mean, Kisuke told me he thought it might be, but Yoruichi, hardly anyone knows I've regained my powers. Why would they want to come after me?"

Yoruichi shrugged.

"It is possible that some of the remaining strong Arrancar are lashing out because you were involved in the downfall of their leader. It could be someone whose attention was caught in the fight against Aizen. There are many possibilities. The important thing for now is to keep the creature from attacking again."

Ichigo looked down at Kisuke, studying him quietly and considering everything that had happened.

"Yoruichi," he said finally, "Tell me something. If this creature is interested in me, then why hasn't it attacked me yet? Why is it targeting the people around me? And that being the case, why is it focusing on the people around me that wield the greatest power? If it was trying to make a point or trying to hurt me, it would have struck at me directly…or it would have attacked the weaker ones to manipulate my emotions. But this…attacking Kisuke and Byakuya. Yoruichi, what does that tell you?"

Renji cleared his throat softly.

"I'll tell you what it means…because Byakuya has told me a thousand times that a cocky enemy will not direct itself to the weaker ones to make his point. He will overwhelm and intimidate, then take the enemy in a single swift move," he said in a low voice, "If I read the situation correctly, then Kisuke and Byakuya were taken down both to intimidate and to sweep them aside. I think that as soon as this creature thinks that the way has been cleared enough, it will move in and it will make its move on you, Ichigo."

"Then the enemy is only going to find that it has much more to sweep aside," said a male voice from the doorway.

All eyes turned to meet those of the light-haired man who had appeared in the doorway.

"Shinji!" exclaimed Ichigo, coming to his feet and flash stepping across the room, "What are you doing here?"

"We sensed the presence of this creature who has been concealing itself near here. When it began to grow stronger, we suspected that it would act soon…but we could not anticipate exactly what it would do. The attack on Urahara-san made us certain the creature was up to no good, but it wasn't until it attacked Kuchiki taicho that we realized it was trying to isolate you."

"To isolate me?" Ichigo repeated, staring.

"Yeah," said Renji from across the room, "Like I said, Ichigo, it took down Kisuke and Byakuya to get them out of the way."

Shinji nodded.

"That is our suspicion as well. And that is why we have taken up protective positions around the shop and the area between it and Ichigo's home. Whatever this thing is, and however strong it is, it is going to find itself facing a lot more strong enemies if it wants to get to you!"

Ichigo let out a soft breath and his eyes softened with gratitude.

"Arigato, Shinji. I appreciate the help."

The vizard nodded.

"I can't stay," he said, turning to leave, "We are guarding in groups to make ourselves less vulnerable. I suggest that you all do the same."

Yoruichi rose and motioned for Renji to join her.

"Wait, Renji and I will work with you to make sure as much ground as possible is covered."

"Very well, then," Shinji said quietly, "Come with me and I'll show you how we've set ourselves up."

Ichigo watched as they disappeared out the door and Tessai walked in with tea and cookies.

"I thought you might be hungry after all of that waiting to see if Kuchiki-san would be all right," he said, setting the tray down.

"Arigato," Ichigo said gratefully, "But what I really need is for you to make Orihime comfortable here, and then to go and bring Chad and Uryuu here for their protection. What Shinji said about staying together is true. We need to stay together to protect each other. Because honestly, we don't know when this creature is going to stop attacking the people around me and make whatever move he's planning."

"That sounds like a very intelligent strategy," agreed Tessai, setting down the tray, "Come, Inoue-san, I will show you to your room."

Ichigo sighed softly as he was left alone with Kisuke, and he moved slowly back to the shopkeeper's side. He sat next to the former taicho and replaced the cool, wet cloth on his forehead, then lifted the blanket to change the bandages on his healing wound.

"It looks a lot better," he commented, "And your reiatsu has been restored…so why don't you stop milking the situation and scaring us all to death and just wake up, Urahara-san. I want to find the bastard who did this to you and Byakuya and I want to make him pay! But I can't do that without you. Come on and wake up. Wake up, Kisuke."

He slipped a hand into the shopkeeper's and sighed in resignation.

"Damn," he said softly, "I really need you to wake up, Kisuke."

He finished the cookies and tea, then realized suddenly how tired he was and let his head and upper body settle on the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes, planning to just doze, but instead fell into a deep sleep.

He found himself in the Seireitei again, standing in the garden that reminded him of Kuchiki Manor. Birds sang in the trees and he could hear the rushing sound of water nearby. He felt a presence ahead of him and moved forward.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo," the voice he remembered said quietly, "I am glad you have returned. I have been waiting for you."_

_He moved forward, his breath catching as he came upon the tall man he had seen before. He looked more closely this time, studying the fine clothing and dark cape he wore. The thin lips smiled at him and the man's green eyes fixed on his._

"_Who are you?" Ichigo asked softly, "And why do I keep dreaming about you? I remember now. I have been dreaming like this for some time now."_

"_Yes," said the man, blinking slowly, "I am not surprised to hear you say that. Indeed, I have been reaching for you for some time now."_

"_Is that why your voice sounds so familiar? I feel like I've heard it…even before the dreams started."_

"_Yes, well, you will remember that later, I am certain. Our link is growing stronger as the days pass. Come with me. I believe we are linked strongly enough to begin to train together."_

"_To train for what? Is this about the creature that attacked Kisuke and Byakuya? Is it going to attack me?"_

_The man smiled._

"_The one who circles around you now has a very specific purpose in doing so. That will be revealed in time…and when it is, you must be prepared for what the situation will require. I am to instruct you."_

"_Huh…well," said Ichigo, scratching his head, "I don't know if I feel comfortable training with a guy I don't even know. How about you tell me your name?"_

He strained his ears to hear what the man said, but felt himself being pulled away. Someone was squeezing his hand, and he heard a male voice saying his name. He inhaled sharply as the garden faded and everything went dark.

"I-ichigo?"

He opened his eyes and found himself still leaned forward onto the bed, with his head rested on one hand and the other hand holding Kisuke's. The shopkeeper's gray eyes were open and gazing at him from only inches away. Kisuke gave him a weak smile.

"Ichigo," he said again, "It's good to see you."

"Kisuke," he whispered, his hand tightening on the other man's and his voice flooded with relief.


	4. The Calling

**Chapter 4: The Calling**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Slowly, slowly, the web is spun. Begun with a long, graceful fall, then swooping left and right in methodical turns. Your eye catches the dewy strands and your hands reach out. But even a careful touch with only your fingertips is enough to entangle you…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Renji knelt in the grass near the riverbank, pondering the blood and reiatsu spattered all around him. His mind couldn't help but replay the moment they'd found the noble covered in blood and dying…that odd look in his eyes, how they had fixed on him and his lover's lips had moved, trying to tell him something, before he lost consciousness. He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, his hand gripping Zabimaru's hilt for a moment and his eyes flaring red with power.

"Damn it…I need to find something!" he whispered.

He could feel Yoruichi's presence nearby as the two searched together for any sign of the one who was responsible. He ran through all of the obvious things, and when those ran out, Renji thought deeply, focusing on everything Byakuya had so carefully taught him as they'd worked together.

_"Stop that at once! A-abarai, I am trying to…"_

"_Go on, Taicho," Renji said, pulling his lips away from the flustered noble's and focusing on where Byakuya was pointing._

_Reiatsu sensing and masking are not difficult concepts, but often, powerful shinigamis will not excel in the area because they haven't learned yet to contain their own reiatsu enough. It distracts them away from being able to hone in properly on the reiatsu that has been concealed. Obviously, if you want to see a small source of light in a room, you must first turn off the larger sources of light around it, ne?"_

"That does make sense…" Renji murmured.

He closed his eyes and focused first on his own power, then slowly negated it. It took more time and effort than he wagered it would have taken his noble counterpart, but after a fashion, he was able to sense other reiatsu in the area. The most obvious was Yoruichi's. She remained just out of sight, in the trees surrounding the area he was searching. He focused harder and recognized that Ichigo, Uryuu and Chad had been there recently, and that several humans with low levels of power had passed through the area. He continued to probe the area, his mind returning to his training.

"…and if what you see does not tell you what you wish to know, then look where there appears to be nothing."

"_Come again?"_

_Byakuya indicated an area that Renji had written off from the beginning as being empty of reiatsu. He extended a hand and closed his eyes. Renji moved closer and did the same. At first, he still sensed no reiatsu. But when he stopped probing and let his mind relax, he could feel…something…_

Renji walked slowly around the perimeter of the area in which Kisuke and Byakuya were attacked. As he did, he let his mind relax and just received what came in. And there was, indeed, an area that seemed completely void of reiatsu traces. He moved towards the area and found himself in a small circle of brush very close to the attack site. He set his hand against a tree that rose out of the bushes and knelt to examine the ground there. All at once, his mind was gripped with a horrid memory.

"_I said," repeated Aizen's tranquil voice, "Put down Kuchiki Rukia…and step away, Abarai-kun."_

_He remained frozen in place with Rukia held protectively against his chest._

_"What?" said Aizen softly, noting that he had not obeyed, but was standing fast and still holding Rukia._

_"I refuse. That's what I said, Aizen taicho!" Renji said firmly, fear welling up and making his limbs shake softly._

_But even though he was afraid, he wouldn't obey. There was no way in hell he would give up Rukia now. He would rather die. And from the look of things, he was about to…_

_"I see," said Aizen, still in that maddeningly calm, quiet voice._

_Beside him, Gin placed a hand on his zanpakuto._

_"It's all right, Gin," said Aizen, waving him off and moving towards Renji._

_He took slow steps, and each seemed to echo in Renji's mind as he came closer._

_"I know you're stubborn, Abarai-kun," he went on, "If you don't want to just leave Kuchiki Rukia and step away, then there's no choice. We'll take your feelings into consideration. You don't have to step away."_

_Ice flooded the redhead's veins at the sight and sound of Aizen drawing his weapon._

_"Leave Kuchiki Rukia and your arms…" the taicho finished, slashing at them._

Renji shook his head and forced the sudden memory away.

"I have to focus," he reprimanded himself, "I can't afford to be distracted."

But as hard as he concentrated, he couldn't seem to break through whatever protected the reiatsu he knew was there.

"Damn," he whispered, blinking away a tear as he remembered seeing Byakuya lying there, dying on the riverbank, "Taicho…Byakuya, I won't let this bastard get away with this! I swear I will figure this out. And I will kill that son of a bitch!"

He swallowed hard and focused on the area again.

"I hope you are all right, Byakuya," he whispered, "You have to hang in there. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"

"Renji?" said Yoruichi's voice, breaking into his reverie.

"Hai, Yoruichi-san," he answered, looking up at her.

"Have you found something, then?" she asked.

"Maybe," Renji replied, indicating the bushes and the tree.

Yoruichi scanned the area slowly, poring over each inch as Renji watched. Finally, she straightened and nodded.

"Good work," she said, "There is something here, but as you probably noticed, someone went to a lot of trouble to conceal it. Still, no one is perfect, Renji. Let's keep searching."

XXXXXXXXXX

Unohana taicho leaned over Byakuya's motionless form, studying the monitors carefully, then conducting a thorough examination. As she watched, Rukia sat beside the noble, watching with tired, devastated eyes.

"The surgery was successful in restoring Kuchiki taicho's spirit centers," the healer informed Rukia, "I am bringing him out of the induced coma now. He will not wake for some time, but he may begin to move about, or even dream."

She noted that the news hardly seemed to impact the exhausted, girl. Shaking her head, she moved closer to where Rukia sat and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It will be some time before he wakes, even now that he is out of the coma," she assured her, "You should go and rest for a while. I will send a hell butterfly as soon as he begins to show signs of waking."

Rukia looked up at her and shook her head firmly.

"I won't leave him, Unohana taicho," she insisted.

"I know you love him very much and you are terribly worried, but I assure you, Rukia-san, the worst of it is over. And you must rest if you are to be of assistance to him as he recovers."

Before the young woman could answer, the healer sent a soft jolt of kido into her body, and Rukia's head dropped forward and landed on the pillow, beside Byakuya's.

"There now," Unohana said, smiling gently, "This will make sure you take care of yourself. I promise I will wake you in time."

She shook her head gently, gazing affectionately down at the siblings, then turned and left them alone in the room.

For several hours, all was quiet. The two within the room slept peacefully. Then, Byakuya's breathing deepened and he shifted slightly, groaning at the pain that movement caused. His lips moved and soft, unintelligible sounds rose out of him. He moaned and tried again to speak. He wondered at how much it took out of him to force even low sounds out of his injured body. He knew he had been dangerously close to dying. But hurt or not, he had to tell them what he had seen…what Senbonzakura had sensed as they fell.

"R-ru…kia," he moaned, sensing that his sister was beside him.

Rukia stirred, but her eyes remained closed. Byakuya turned his head slowly, and moved his trembling hand in hers and she stirred again. He felt darkness closing in and forced out the words, hoping beyond hope that she would hear him.

"R-rukia," he whispered, "T-tell Renji…it was…a…a…z-zanpa…kto. Ky…Kyoka Sui…getsu is…alive."

Rukia's eyes opened and she lifted her head, blinking.

"Nii-sama?" she whispered.

But the noble had lost consciousness again.

"Nii-sama? Did you…speak to me?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'd like to tell you I remember something useful," said Kisuke, looking up at the substitute shinigami "but the truth is, I don't. One second, I was on that trail, headed for the shop, and the next, I was waking up here. It's like there was no in between…almost like whatever I would have sensed had disappeared."

Ichigo shook his head and sighed worriedly.

"Kisuke, you need to know. Byakuya was attacked the same way you were…and in the same exact spot. Worse, the attack happened when a group of us were in the area looking for clues. We sensed it immediately and ran to him, but all we found was Byakuya, taken down in one hit…and Senbonzakura broken as he defended his master from a killing blow."

"Is he…?"

"He is alive and Unohana taicho is confident that he can be healed, but he had to be evacuated to the Seireitei. In light of what happened, the Vizards decided, and I agree that we should stay together to fight this threat. We have gathered here and are patrolling the area, searching for whatever we can find that will lead us to the one or ones responsible for this."

He looked into the shopkeeper's tired eyes and felt an odd twinge inside.

"Hey, uh, are you, you know, okay? Do you need anything?" the youth asked.

Kisuke smiled in a way that warmed him to his toes and made him smile.

"Nah, I'm okay. Your company is all I need right now. That, and some time to heal."

He turned his head to look out the window.

"But it looks like we'll need to do something fast to stop whoever is attacking us. It seems pretty clear it's directed at you. And it seems that what this person or creature wants to do is to isolate you. Not only that, this person is making a pretty strong statement. He or she isn't going after the obvious targets, the points of weakness, but making methodical strikes on the strongest people around you. I wasn't chosen by chance, and neither was Byakuya. I was chosen because I was powerful and protective of you…a mentor. Byakuya was chosen, also because he was powerful, and he was connected to you by way of your association with Rukia. And I'm thinking the attacks won't stop there."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ichigo said, nodding "And so were Shinji and the Vizards. They sensed what was happening, and after Byakuya was taken down, they showed up here and said they would team up with Yoruichi and work in groups to protect us all."

"A good strategy," Kisuke commented, "but it also tells me that if this enemy is strong enough to make the vizards so accommodating, then whoever it is, is a serious threat, and this whole thing is going to get very nasty. I would say that you should go into hiding but…"

"But then I'm just isolated, the way this creep wants me to be."

"Right. So we need to consider three important things. First, we need to ask ourselves why this person wants you isolated. Second, we need to figure out the other targets he'll try to eliminate. And finally, whatever his plan is, we have to stop it."

"It'd be a whole lot easier if we knew who or what we were looking for," Ichigo mused, "Whoever this guy is, he's got to be invisible…and he's so fast that even Byakuya and you couldn't stop him."

"The guy isn't just fast, he is brutal, he thinks and acts in an orderly way, his method and manner of attack display arrogance and extreme confidence in his abilities, and his persistence suggests a lot of determination. This is a powerful shinigami or maybe an Espada level hollow. If we were in the spirit dimension, I might think a lower demon, but we don't usually get those here."

He paused suddenly at the odd, impressed look on Ichigo's face.

"What?" he asked.

Ichigo seemed to realize he'd been staring too long and looked away.

"I…was just impressed by how much you figured out so fast."

"Well, I had a lot of time to think while I was unconscious," Kisuke said, smirking.

Ichigo smiled, but Kisuke didn't miss the somber shine in them. He couldn't help feeling touched, having seen that look in the youth's eyes before. It was the way he looked when he'd been worried over someone who mattered to him. He'd looked that way while he trained to save Rukia…while he'd prepared to go to Orihime's aid, and now when his mentor had been attacked.

_But then there's that other dimension of what has been going on between us lately. I feel it more strongly now. And it's coming to the point where we need to do something about it. But what to do? He's powerful, mature for his age because of what he's endured, but Ichigo is still a kid…a really beautiful, amazing and wonderful friend. Why does it feel like that's not enough anymore?_

Ichigo sighed and a soft jolt passed through Kisuke as the youth's hand slipped into his and the dark, worried eyes focused on him, making him feel momentarily breathless.

"Kisuke, I am really glad you're okay," he said softly.

His hand tightened on Ichigo's and he nodded.

"Thanks, Ichigo."

"I feel better knowing you're with me on this," the youth went on, "As much as I like having my friends around me, being with you is different. You're a different kind of friend to me. I would say a mentor, but it's different than that too. I don't exactly know how to describe it, but it isn't like what I feel for anyone else."

_And here it is, _thought Kisuke, _that perfect moment where it all really starts. It's all there…the first flushes of love, the nudge of danger to urge us on, the shine in his eyes…and I know he sees the same thing in me. So, why can't I do this? Why can't I just pull him close and kiss him and see where it all leads?_

"Kisuke?"

He hadn't realized that he'd closed his eyes again. And he knew that if he looked at Ichigo again, he would crumble right then and there. He would step over that line he had promised himself he never would. Love required perfect trust…and trust like that made a man vulnerable. He had trusted before…the Gotei 13, Sotaicho and fate. And his reward had been banishment. He could never go home again. Not that his life now was bad. But he could never face the torment of being taken apart like that again. And so he kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep as Ichigo said his name again.

_I'm sorry, Ichigo. But this is a place I can't go with you. Too many people depend on me to maintain control here. And if I let you in, that control…all controls would shatter._

He heard a sigh, and a shiver passed through him as Ichigo's breath touched his skin.

Ichigo…if things were different…

He froze as the youth's hand lifted his. Warmth flared through his whole body as Ichigo's lips brushed against his fingertips.

"I'm sorry, Urahara-san," he said, kissing Kisuke's fingertips again, "I know it's wrong to do such a thing without your permission…while you are sleeping, but…"

There was a deep, silent pause and Kisuke felt the youth's warmth closing in on him. And before he could react, Ichigo's lips were touching his, and without him meaning for it to happen, his eyes opened.


	5. Trust

**Chapter 5: Trust**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**The wicked man claims that trust breeds weakness, but the wise man knows that trust breeds opportunity…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Kisuke froze as the youth's hand lifted his. Warmth flared through his whole body as Ichigo's lips brushed against his fingertips._

_"I'm sorry, Urahara-san," he said, kissing Kisuke's fingertips again, "I know it's wrong to do such a thing without your permission…while you are sleeping, but…"_

There was a deep, silent pause and Kisuke felt the youth's warmth closing in on him. And before he could react, Ichigo's lips were touching his, and without him meaning for it to happen, his eyes opened.

Ichigo's eyes were half-closed and hazy with affection and he wore a sweet, happy expression on his face. Then, it registered with him that Kisuke's eyes were open, and that the shopkeeper was staring at him in perfect silence, betraying neither acceptance nor rejection of his kiss. And as Ichigo's eyes widened and the expression on his face morphed into dismay and embarrassment, Kisuke took hold of his arm to keep him from pulling away. Ichigo froze with his lips still achingly close to Kisuke's, his face betraying to the shopkeeper everything his stopped words couldn't say. Kisuke gazed back at him for several painful moments, torn between what he wanted and what he thought he should do. But where something he would have called 'common sense' had always before kicked in and stopped him from taking that next reckless step, he found suddenly that the inner voice that had always warned against him falling in love, had fallen away, and now all he could hear in his mind, was the cry of his heart to move forward.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Ichigo?" he asked calmly, "I warn you that for everything you know about me, there are two things you don't…and for everything you love about me…"

"It doesn't matter."

"What?" the shopkeeper asked, blinking in surprise.

"You accept everything about me…even my inner hollow. I will do the same for you."

"Ichigo…" Kisuke said more softly, his head tipping forward and his eyes growing troubled, "You…you're just a kid…a really amazing, powerful, beautiful kid. You belong with someone more like you…not some washed up, banished, disgraced former taicho."

He trailed off as Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he gave the shopkeeper a look of youthful annoyance.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he said off-handedly, "You're not making sense."

Kisuke sighed.

"You know what happened in Soul Society, Ichigo…that they banished me for…"

"I don't give a damn about what those jerks in Soul Society say. They don't decide what I think or what I do," he said, moving closer, "And they sure as hell don't decide who I love."

"Yeah," said Kisuke, giving him a brief smile, "You pretty much do what you want. I'll give you that…"

"And what I want, right now, is for you to stop trying to tell me all the reasons we don't belong together. I think we both know…you've been there for me from the start, helping me every time I needed you."

"Don't kid yourself, Ichigo," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "As much as Aizen was involved in getting Rukia involved in that whole mess, I was responsible too. I concealed the hogyoku in her and gave her the gigai that stole her powers and landed her in such hot water with Central 46."

"No," Ichigo said firmly, "Rukia lent me her power willingly…meaning she made her own choice that got her convicted. And besides, by the time Central 46 handed down her death sentence, it was Aizen making all of the decisions. He set that whole thing up, not you."

"But I created the hogyoku he used to power up the one he made and…"

"And it was your kido spell that kicked in and sealed him away in the end."

"Yeah, after you sacrificed everything to force him to the ends of his abilities. But the truth is, none of us would have been in that mess if I hadn't…"

"Would you knock it off, please?" Ichigo said, touching a finger to his lips, "Even if you hadn't created your version of the hogyoku, Aizen Sousuke would still have found a way…and Rukia still would have been involved, and me too. So just stop. It doesn't matter. The only thing that does…is this."

He closed the distance between them and brought their lips together again.

"You feel that, ne?" the youth went on, "We both want this, or you wouldn't be kissing me back."

"Ichigo…"

The youth's lips claimed his more forcefully and Kisuke's head fell back onto the pillow as Ichigo's body laid down gently on top of his. He knew he should have continued to resist, but it was like something had given way with Ichigo's first kiss, and he met the youth's lips with intense hunger. Ichigo's hands slipped in underneath his yukata, touching lightly, exploring tentatively as the two continued to kiss. He traced the healing slash across the shopkeeper's chest, then lined it with soft kisses. He stopped and pulled himself away with an effort as Kisuke's heart raced beneath his breast and his gray eyes shined with affection.

"Why did you stop?" Kisuke asked, "because it's plain as day you didn't want to."

Ichigo laughed softly.

"You're hurt and still healing…and besides, there are some things that need to happen more slowly, because we should respect and enjoy their beauty in the right way. I want, with all of my heart, to see where this leads, but I know it has to be done in the right way, and it can't be rushed."

"Hey," Kisuke chided him gently, "I'm supposed to be the older, wiser one who takes things a little slower…"

"Well," said Ichigo, "I guess you kind of rubbed off on me."

Kisuke let out a soft, pleased breath.

"And I am certainly not going to complain about that," he said, claiming Ichigo's lips again, "Seriously, though, are you sure we should do this? I think your father might have a few things to say about it…and he might even be mad enough to try killing me…assuming this other guy doesn't claim that honor first."

"Well," said Ichigo, nuzzling beneath Kisuke's chin, "My dad is just going to have to deal with it. And whoever tried to kill you will find it damned hard to do it with me not leaving you alone for a minute."

"Aww, that's really flattering," the shopkeeper chuckled affectionately, "And despite not really wanting to piss your dad off while I'm still healing, I have to be honest. Nothing would feel better right now than having you undress and lie down with me here for the rest of the night."

Ichigo smiled and Kisuke felt a soft, sweet tickle of pleasure inside. The youth rose and walked to the closet, where he removed a yukata and slowly undressed as Kisuke watched silently from his bed. Ichigo wrapped the yukata around his bared body and walked back to the bed, sliding under the covers and turning into the shopkeeper's waiting arms.

Kisuke had, of course, touched Ichigo for the purposes of training and healing, but to touch and explore him in a sexual way was intoxicating. And even better, was the feel of Ichigo's hands touching him in return. He closed his eyes and loosed a soft, contented sigh as the youth's fingertips slid down the side of his neck and traced his collarbone absently as they kissed, open-mouthed, curling their tongues together and pressing their bodies closer together. Kisuke felt the hot swell of Ichigo's inflamed member against his, and moved his hips, creating lovely friction and slowly stealing their breath away.

"I thought you wanted to take this slowly…" Kisuke mused as Ichigo's hand slid down over his abdomen and touched his aching arousal.

He caught his breath softly as the youth's fingers touched him, making him loose a soft growl of pleasure and kiss Ichigo harder.

"I just meant we shouldn't have sex right away," Ichigo said, leaving the shopkeeper breathless as his fingers moved lazily over his leaking erection, lingering, then trailing lightly downward, "I've wanted to touch you like this for a long time."

Kisuke smiled and closed his eyes as Ichigo's hand curled around his length and stroked him as they surrendered to kissing again. After a few long, intense minutes, Ichigo's mouth left his and made a trail of kisses down the length of his torso, pausing to taste his erect nipples, then following a meandering path downward until he knelt between Kisuke's parted thighs, his hands gently pushing them wider as he sank down between them and looked up into the shopkeeper's hazy eyes.

Kisuke blinked slowly, watching in fascination as the youth contemplated his stiff, wet member, then leaned forward and curled a hand around it, extending his tongue to taste and treasure. The shopkeeper groaned and closed his eyes as Ichigo's fingers tightened at the base of his erection, staving off completion as the younger continued to offer unspeakable pleasure. He lowered his head and gently explored Kisuke's flushed nether region, then moved down further and teased his entrance, coaxing another soft groan from his lips as he returned to the shopkeeper's waiting length. He held it tightly as he brought Kisuke slowly to breathlessness, then sank down on him, closed-eyed and sucking relentlessly, until Kisuke's body pushed upward, shuddering and the shopkeeper was left moaning and panting dizzily.

Kisuke sucked in a breath, then released it in a hard gasp as Ichigo's fingers penetrated him, pushing inside and finding the pleasure center within him, then stimulating it gently as he loosened his hold on the base of the shopkeeper's length and freed him to tumble over and away into complete bliss. The nagging pain of Kisuke's wound disappeared and he surrendered to pleasure, loosing his release in hot, wet pulses into the youth's hungry mouth. Ichigo moaned around him, swallowing several times, then he slowly licked away the escaped bits and returned to Kisuke's mouth for several long, slow kisses.

"Hmmm," Kisuke sighed contentedly as Ichigo returned to his arms, "I wish I could move well enough to reciprocate."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said sleepily, "You can make it up to me when you've healed fully. For now, just let me spoil you a little. Kami knows you've spent enough time worrying over me when I was injured!"

"Yeah…" agreed Kisuke, "but I was never that good to you."

Ichigo laughed softly.

"That's okay. I'm sure you'll have the chance to be, sooner or later."

"Oh…excuse me for hoping that you just don't get hurt. I'll spoil you anyway. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Good."

XXXXXXXXXX

_"Ichigo…" called the voice of the green-eyed man, "Ichigo, it is nearly time."_

_"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, sitting up in the bed and finding it odd that Kisuke did not wake, even as he slipped out of bed and stood, tying his yukata back in place, "What do you want with me?"_

_"I need your help," the man explained, "Come with me."_

_He offered a hand to the youth, but Ichigo held himself back, gazing at the man suspiciously._

_"I'm not going anywhere until I know more about you. Tell me who you are. And tell me how you got past everyone to get in here."_

_"I used my powers to hide myself from them. I have too many enemies. But I knew that I could depend on you."_

_"How do you know about me?"_

_"Everyone knows of you, Kurosaki Ichigo…the boy who defeated that monster, Aizen."_

_"Huh…well you have that wrong. It took more than just me to bring Aizen down. And I sacrificed my powers to do it. So if you're…"_

_"Don't try to deny your powers," said the other man, "I can sense that you have regained them. I have been nearby, watching you."_

_Ichigo inhaled sharply and backed away._

_"It was you! You attacked Kisuke and Byakuya!"_

_"They would have interfered."_

_"Well now I'm interfering!" yelled Ichigo, summoning his zanpakuto and holding it ready._

_"Not here," said the other, moving forward and then disappearing for a moment._

_He reappeared inside Ichigo's guard and placed a hand on the substitute shinigami's chest._

_"You remember, ne?" he asked softly, "When my master touched you like this and said that he could reach you at any time he wanted to? Well, 'anytime' is now…Kurosaki Ichigo!"_

_"No! You can't be him! No!" Ichigo gasped, backing away._

_The man raised the weapon in his hand, holding it tip down._

_"Shatter!"_

"Ichigo!" said Kisuke in an urgent whisper, "Ichigo, are you all right?"

The young man's eyes blinked open and he sat up slowly, his heart pounding.

"What is it?" asked the shopkeeper, touching his face lightly, "Bad dream?"

"Y-yeah," said Ichigo, scratching the back of his neck, "But the darnedest thing is…I can't remember any of it!"

"None, huh?" asked Kisuke, leaning back against the pillows and pulling him close.

"Nothing," Ichigo confirmed, "It's the weirdest thing. I feel like I am this close to remembering, but…I just can't connect with it."

Kisuke sighed sleepily.

"Just try to get some rest," he advised the youth, "You've been caught up in this business with that mystery assailant. It's affecting your mind when you try to sleep. Try not to think about it."

Ichigo laughed sarcastically.

"Now, how am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

Kisuke smiled.

"I guess I could try to distract you."

"You need to rest and get better," Ichigo said reprovingly.

"I am better," Kisuke said, his smile widening, "And anyway, I'm okay on this side."

He slid his hand down Ichigo's torso and wrapped a hand around his warm, hard length.

"Hey, stop that. You need to…"

Kisuke's mouth invaded his, gently and the shopkeeper's hand slid up and down his hardness, derailing his thoughts and sending them spinning away. He tried to hold on to his resolve, but found himself quickly undone, panting and moaning shamelessly as his body surrendered to the shopkeeper's stroking hand and hot seed erupted from him and spilled out onto his skin. Whatever will to resist he had, left him as Kisuke lifted himself and descended on Ichigo's surprised form, holding him down and slowly licking away his warm release.

"Damn…" he mused, "You really know how to get your way, ne?"

Kisuke smiled and pulled him close, and the two dropped off to sleep.

Outside the window, a pair of malevolent green eyes watched them for a time, before disappearing into the night.


	6. The Massacre

**Chapter 6: The Massacre**

Kisuke's eyes blinked and slowly opened, and he found himself still lying on his back, looking up at the white ceiling in the room, but this time with Ichigo's warm, naked body draped lazily over his and the youth's head nestled beneath his chin. A slow smile crawled onto his face as he remembered Ichigo's spontaneous kiss, their admissions of love and the sweet interchange that followed. His only regret was that he'd been unable to show Ichigo the full extent of what he was feeling. His body still ached badly from his injuries, but the shopkeeper found as he took in the beautiful sight of the young man sleeping on his chest, that no matter what had been done to his body, making love to Ichigo was something he had put off and avoided for too long. The words had been said and the emotions bared, and all that was left was to take that last, fateful step.

He sank his fingers into the sleeping youth's riled hair, breathing in his pleasant scent and feeling his smile widen. He turned his head and tilted Ichigo's head back slightly, then pressed his lips to the younger man's, wordlessly coaxing him out of the deep sleep he was in and back into wakefulness.

"Mmmm, Kisuke…" Ichigo murmured without opening his eyes, "Wh-what's going on? Is something happening?"

"Yeah," said Kisuke, tracing the youth's soft lips with the tip of his tongue, "Something is _definitely_ happening."

Ichigo made a sound of surprise as the older shinigami sank into his mouth and pulled the youth's body so that it was in a more anchored position on top of him.

"Hey," Ichigo objected, trying to pull away, "Doesn't that hurt?"

"I'm fine," Kisuke assured him, kissing the youth's protests into silence, "I feel a lot better, actually."

"Maybe you do and maybe you don't," said the youth, eyeing him skeptically, "But I would bet you that Unohana taicho wouldn't approve of you trying to have sex with me while you're still…"

He gave a surprised yelp as Kisuke turned and threw him down on his back, falling on his mouth and silencing him with a flurry of hot, dizzying kisses. His hands moved over Ichigo's chest and abdomen, teasing his already erect nipples, dipping into his navel, then sliding down lower and touching him more intimately.

"Cut that out, will you?" Ichigo gasped, struggling underneath him, "You're gonna bust your stitches!"

"Let me worry about my stitches," said the shopkeeper, holding him in place and loosing another barrage of kisses on his face and throat, "You just relax and kiss me…unless…you changed your mind?"

"What are you talking about?" the youth asked reprovingly, "Changed my mind? There's _no way_ I've changed my mind, or that I ever will. I've wanted this for a really, really long time. And now that you're mine, I'm never letting you go, _ever_! So don't give me any crap about 'changing my mind.' I'm never going to…never."

Talk gave way to several long minutes of silent, deep kisses before Ichigo went on.

"So," he said, moving his fingers where they were entangled with the shopkeeper's and meeting the older man's gray eyes questioningly, "You want to take things all the way?"

"If I didn't, do you think I'd be lying on top of you right now? Yeah, I want to make love to you, Ichigo. I've been thinking about it for a long time…and I've known I was in love with you for even longer."

"Why didn't you ever _say anything_?" Ichigo asked, smiling and kissing him again, "Why'd you wait until you almost got killed to tell me?"

Kisuke let out a long, soft sigh.

"I don't know," he said, lowering his eyes, "I don't think it was a conscious decision _not_ to say anything. It was more of a decision by default."

He turned his head to look out the window.

"I've always tried to do what I thought were the right things, but then Aizen came along…and suddenly, even the right things were made wrong. I got accused of something that I never would have done. Ichigo, they accused me of attacking my own comrades, of running illegal and unethical experiments, of doing inhuman things. I was just trying to protect them. After what Aizen did to them, the Gotei 13 would have killed those taichos and fukutaichos. I was _there_ when the order was given, and I couldn't believe my ears. Did I break some laws then? Yeah, I sure as hell did. But I did it to save the lives of my comrades, and then I willingly paid the price for that. But the cost of having made that choice, is that the weight of Central 46's decision blew a huge hole in my heart. Maybe I didn't lose everything, but I lost something important. And then, you came along, Ichigo, and you gave it back to me. You healed my heart…and you made me trust again. And I can't thank you enough for that…"

"They were stupid to believe Aizen's lies," Ichigo said softly, "And that's why once Aizen fell…once you and I sealed his powers away, the Gotei 13 and the new Central 46 lifted the ban on you returning. You know you could go back now."

"Yeah," Kisuke sighed, "I'm aware of that. But...it doesn't matter that they lifted the ban. Don't you see, Ichigo? I can't trust them to make rightful decisions when it comes to the important things. And that means that I won't tie my own hands by submitting to their rules anymore...even though what went before was hardly a full submission."

"So...you're never gonna go back?"

"I'll visit," said Kisuke, "There are some people I haven't seen in a long time. And a few I'd love to go back and torment. But take on a taicho's position? I don't think so. Been there, done that...have the scars to prove it."

He left off for a moment, invading the youth's mouth again and exploring it deeply. Ichigo's brown eyes went hazy and his body relaxed. He sank his fingers into the shopkeeper's thick hair, moaning and writhing hotly beneath him as Kisuke's wetted fingers penetrated him and began to prepare him. Kisuke heard the very soft, unbidden sound of distress he made as he was penetrated, and then tried to cover with a louder sigh of surrender.

He paused for a moment and smiled at the youth, moving his fingers slowly to give him time to adjust.

"First time, ne?" he asked, nibbling at the youth's blushing earlobe.

"Y-yeah," admitted Ichigo, "Sorry, I'm just a little nervous is all."

"That's okay," said Kisuke, carefully pushing another finger inside him, then pausing again until his body relaxed, "We'll take our time. And if you want to wait, we can do that too."

"Are you kidding me?" laughed Ichigo, catching his breath as the older shinigami's fingers moved inside him, "As...as long as we've...oh...ah, oh my god, that feels good!"

"If you're sure, then," Kisuke chuckled, probing deeply and finding the bundle of sensitive nerves inside him, "Because we don't have to go all of the way now. I'm a scientist, remember? And I've got to know something like a hundred ways to make you climax without any penetration at all."

"R-really?" panted Ichigo, blushing at the wanton sound of his voice, "J-just...ah...hah...just out of...curiosity, how many ways can you do that...with...p-penetration?"

"Couple hundred, give or take a few," laughed the shopkeeper, sliding a hand down Ichigo's soft, inner thigh and pushing his legs open wide.

Ichigo inhaled sharply, then groaned and closed his eyes as his body was breached and Kisuke's swollen member invaded.

"Oh god...oh god...oh god!" the young man moaned, "If I'd known it was this good I would have tried to kiss you a long time ago! Oh...oh damn, that's...ah, Kisuke? That's...oh...oh...ahhhhhh!"

"It's okay," Kisuke said, feeding him a barrage of tender, wet kisses, "It's in."

"Like I didn't know that," Ichigo panted, smiling as the shopkeeper's lips touched his sweaty forehead, "But I have to tell you...you're pretty damned big. It feels like...OH GOD!"

He reached down and grabbed Kisuke's thrusting hips, clenching and pulling them in harder, and moaning loudly as they moved roughly against each other. The shopkeeper's mouth found his again and his tongue invaded deeply, thrusting inside and curling around his, teasing it into a soft, erotic dance that added intense heat to the faster, wilder motion of their hips. He groaned again as a dizzying wall of pleasure seemed to erupt in front of him, and he crashed headlong into the heartshaking, breathtaking beauty of it, exploding into orgasm with a hard, gripping scream of pure bliss. He closed his eyes and howled again as Kisuke's arousal twitched inside him, expelling its blazing release in hot, steamy pulses that seemed to fill him inside from end to end.

The room seemed to fill with blinding light, and Ichigo's body was overcome and left shaking and left undone beneath the exhausted man on top of him. Kisuke gave a handsome, sated moan and collapsed onto the ginger-haired shinigami's limp and sweating form, then fell to more tender, finishing kisses that left both men smiling and sweetly flushed.

"Not bad, ne?" Kisuke whispered wearily, "Not bad especially...for a half dead guy."

Ichigo managed a wider smile and twinkling eyes, but was still beyond words. Kisuke frowned and lifted himself, then sighed.

"Aw, hell," he panted.

"What?" Ichigo asked, finding his voice again.

"Looks like I busted my stitches..."

"Are you bleeding?" Ichgio asked, sitting up too quickly and putting a hand on his spinning head to steady it, "Damn, I knew you weren't up to this! Why did you do that, huh?"

"It's okay," Kisuke assured him, "It's not bleeding much at all. But if you'll go and get Tessai, he'll fix me up."

"Okay, just wait here and don't move too much and make that bleed more," said Ichigo, shaking his head and wiping the blood, sweat and seed from his torso with a towel before closing his yukata and climbing to his feet. He left the bedroom and walked out into the central area of Orihime's apartment. He looked in on Orihime and found her sleeping contentedly. Smiling, he searched the rest of the apartment for Tessai, but couldn't find him. He was ready to give up and wake Orihime, when he heard a groan from out on the apartment balcony. He flash stepped across the room and slipped outside, nearly tripping over Tessai's fallen form.

"Tessai-san!" Ichigo gasped, looking around for any sign of his attacker, "Tessai-san, can you hear me?"

He looked around, searching for signs of the patrolling vizards, then froze as he spotted two collapsed bodies on the grass below the apartment.

"Oh no!" he breathed, turning back into the apartment.

"Kisuke!" he cried, running first into Orihime's room and dragging the sleepy girl to her feet.

"Ichigo...?"

"Kisuke!" the youth shouted again, running hand in hand with Orihime towards the bedroom.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as a tall, green eyed man emerged from the bedroom, blood spattered brightly on his olive colored skin and a frighteningly familiar sword in his hand.

"Oh my god!" gasped Ichigo, "RUN, ORIHIME!"

"Ichigo...why?"

_Oh my god! She can't see him!_

"Go! Run! Get out of here!" he screamed, summoning Zangetsu to his hand.

But his heart stopped as the spirit in front of him spoke.

"_Shatter_."

"NO!" he screamed, trying to shield his eyes, "KISUKE! What have you...?"

He broke off as a slender, strong hand, tore his hand away from his face, and his eyes were forced to witness Kyoka Suigetsu's shikai.

"NO! NO!"

Numbness flooded his body and he felt the dangerous presence slide into his opened mind.

_Oh no..._

And all at once, the odd dreams came back to him in full, living color.

_Oh god, it's been him all along!_

_And now..._

_What did he do to them?_

"What did you do to them?" he screamed, surfacing for a moment and catching a terrifying glimpse of Kisuke, covered in blood and crawling in his direction.

He started to run forward, but found that his body could no longer move.

_I will finish him and slaughter the girl if you resist._

"Ichigo!" gasped Kisuke, holding his midsection and coughing up blood, "Ichigo, don't..."

A strong arm wrapped around his throat, and he was dragged towards the door, leaving Kisuke crawling painfully slowly after.

_What did you do to all of them?_

_Where are the vizards?_

_Rukia?_

_Renji?_

_Yoruichi?_

Agonized, wrenching sobs gripped him as he saw flashes in his mind of each of his friends, lying on the ground, their bodies drenched in blood.

_They are dying! You have to let me help them! Let me help them or..._

The zanpakuto spirit held him tightly and flash stepped several times, dropping down in front of Orihime, so that the stunned girl slid to a stop. Kyoka Suigetsu's palm rose and imparted a quick view of where each person laid.

"Save them, if you can," he told her, "But...do not follow us."

Ichigo's shattered eyes met Orihime's for a moment.

"It's okay," he said in a low, tightly controlled voice, "I'll be all right. J-just, Kisuke...the others...Orihime, don't let them die!"

"But..." the girl sobbed, "What about you? What about...?"

"Go," Ichigo insisted, "Help them! If you care about me, then you help them now! Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Go...please!"

"That was a wise thing you did," Kyoka Suigetsu said quietly, "You obviously care about your friends."

"Is that why you're doing this?" Ichigo asked cautiously, "because you care about your master? Is that why you're here?"

"I will speak to you when I want to be spoken to. Otherwise, be quiet."

"Where are you taking me?" Ichigo asked, already suspecting.

"I am going to free my master...and you are going to help me."

"Why would I do that?" Ichigo said, his brashness returning as he sensed that his friends were being cared for, and were no longer in direct danger, "You don't have anything left to threaten me with. You let everyone go."

"Is that right?" said the spirit, "I let them go? But...is that an assurance that I cannot hurt them now?"

"What are you saying?"

The black-haired man gave him a cryptic smile.

"Let's just say that...if you do not help me to free my master, if you deviate from my orders in any way, I will loose the trap I set within each of my victims."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, wide-eyed.

The face of a slightly familiar shinigami appeared before his eyes, and Ichigo could see that he had been bound and left unconscious.

"Watch now."

To Ichigo's horror, the man shifted in his bonds, his eyes flew open and he screamed in pain.

"Poison," whispered Kyoka Suigetsu, "I placed a small, sealed vial of poison in each of their bodies. And if you do not do what I tell you..."

He indicated the place before Ichigo's shocked eyes where the afflicted shinigami continued to scream as his body slowly broke apart and disintegrated.

"Do you understand, Ichigo? I still have them. Come now, we have someone to free."


	7. The Escape

**Chapter 7: The Escape**

**(Yet another Aizendrop for Aizen's birthday!)**

Kyoka Suigetsu leaned over Kurosaki Ichigo's restrained body, glaring meaningfully into the young man's golden brown eyes, watching closely as his power increased it's hold over Ichigo, slowly rendering him completely defenseless.

"You were difficult, but I expected that you would be," the zanpakuto spirit informed him, "I have been dreaming of this moment for a very long time. I feel such relief as you could never understand that my master will soon be returned to me and we will be together again."

He reached down to touch the shinigami substitute's handsome face, gazing into the wide, confused, semi-conscious eyes.

"Hear me now," Kyoka Suigetsu said in a somber voice, "The injustice of what happened to my master and me is about to be undone. With my help, you will walk blithely through the barriers that separate us, and by your own hand will you restore what you took from him!"

"N-n..."

"Still resisting?" the green-eyed spirit chided him, increasing the power around Ichigo and letting it course out through his hands, into the youth's limp body, making him go silent and still again, "There, you see? Compliance is much easier."

He placed his cool hands on Ichigo's face and stared penetratingly into his eyes.

"You are Aizen Sousuke's creation, Ichigo," he said calmly, "You live and breathe because of him. You have the powers you do because of him. You owe _everything_ to him! Aizen Sousuke is your master, and there is nothing you will not do for him."

Ichigo shivered beneath the spirit's hands, still feeling that something was wrong and straining to resist as Kyoka Suigetsu's radiant power flooded his body, seeping into every corner of his mind and slowly dominating.

"_You are Aizen Sousuke's creation, Ichigo_," the spirit said again, "_You live and breathe because of him. You have the powers you do because of him. You owe everything to him! Aizen Sousuke is your master, and there is nothing you will not do for him_."

The spirit ran a hand down the youth's bared torso, pausing to curl a strand of his power around Ichigo's warm privates.

"_Aizen Sousuke is your master. He created your powers and then he created you. You serve only Aizen Sousuke, and no other."_

He touched Ichigo's face again, willing the youth to answer him.

"Tell me who your master is."

Ichigo's lips tightened and gave no answer.

Frowning, the zanpakuto spirit intensified the swirls of reiatsu around Ichigo, sending them deeper into the young man's heart and mind.

"Tell me who your master is!" Kyouka Suigetsu repeated more stridently.

He conjured painful images of Ichigo's injured friends, tormenting the young man's aching mind until Ichigo's powers flared under the seal that had been placed on them, and his mouth opened into a scream of frustration and horror.

"Who is your master?"

Ichigo screamed in agony, but gave no answer.

Kyouka Suigetsu's green eyes turned deadly at the defiance, and he raised his power to the limits of what he knew the young man could tolerate. Ichigo's body shook furiously underneath his hands, and his screams rang out endlessly as the zanpakuto spirit forced him to see his friends being destroyed by the poison that had been left in their bodies. His screams intensified as despair took over, bringing Ichigo to the verge of hollowfication.

"Yes, you are powerful," Kyoka Suigetsu said, more calmly, "Those powers will serve your master well. And now that those distractions are gone, you can focus on only him. But we must move quickly now. All of their deaths will have made others suspicious. We must go now and free our master. Come, Ichigo."

Kyoka Suigetsu shattered the bonds on the young man's body, allowing Ichigo to sit up. The shinigami substitute looked around dazedly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Kyoka Suigetsu slipped an arm around him and helped him to his feet.

"My power will protect you now," the spirit promised him, "I am going to conceal myself in your body. I have suppressed Zangetsu so that no one will sense him. Depend on me, Ichigo. I will get you inside Central 46 so that you can free the master. He will be so pleased when we arrive!"

Ichigo blinked in confusion, his muddled mind confused into near senselessness. He felt as though something was wrong, but unable to connect with thoughts of anyone but Aizen and Kyoka Suigetsu, he stood quietly as the zanpakuto spirit sank down inside him. Then, he left the quiet building they had been in and moved out onto the bustling streets of the Seireitei.

If he had been more aware, Ichigo would have noticed the people passing, some who knew him and some who did not, who gave no sign of seeing him at all. But he seemed separated from reality, only being held on his feet by Kyoka Suigetsu's persistent directive.

"We must free the master. We must free the master. We must free the master," the spirit's voice repeated in his overwhelmed mind.

"We must," Ichigo whispered dizzily, turning towards the Central 46 compound.

He walked blithely up to the entrance, smiling briefly at the guards as they looked at him and saw only one of their own council members. They greeted him calmly and opened the way readily, making Kyoka Suigetsu's dark laughter ring in his mind.

_Fools! To have thought that they could hold him back, that they could imprison him...that they could do anything to stop him! They are about to learn a very harsh lesson!_

Ichigo groaned restlessly as Kyoka Suigetsu suddenly emerged from his body, letting swells of his reiatsu hypnotize everyone they encountered, then cutting them down, one-by-one as they passed, leaving them writhing and dying on the cold, marble floors, their cries unheard by those who walked by them, unseeing, unhearing, unsensing until it was too late for them as well.

Kyoka Suigetsu and the deeply controlled shinigami substitute proceeded calmly forward, passing easily all of the checkpoints and coming to the door of Aizen Sousuke's sealed cell.

"This," the zanpakuto spirit said solemnly, "is why you are needed. The master is locked inside here and your power is needed to break the seal. Do it now, Ichigo! Our master needs you!"

Some small flicker of uncertainty registered in Ichigo's heart as he faced the door and he hesitated.

"Do it now!" Kyouka Suigetsu ordered him, sending heavy throbs of controlling power through the young man until his eyes went senseless and quiet again and Ichigo turned his eyes onto the cell door.

Slowly, Ichigo's shaking hand moved to his sword. He pulled the weapon free and took aim on the door.

"Getsuga Tensho!" he growled, loosing a heavy blast of power that shattered the door in front of them, opening the way to the imprisoned former taicho.

The two entered the cell and stood quietly before Aizen's bound form. Curious brown eyes observed them for a moment, then Aizen's lips curled into a wicked smile and he began to laugh.

XXXXXXXXXX

"We have to find him," Kisuke said, his hand lightly rubbing the freshly healed areas on his shoulder and chest, "We have to stop what's happening to him."

"I am afraid we don't really know what is happening to him," Unohana taicho said wearily, leaning over Hirako Shinji and infusing him with healing power.

Her eyes strayed to where Orihime leaned over two more vizards and Yoruichi, her bright golden power covering them and slowly erasing the damage to their bodies

"Whoever this enemy is, he can move about very swiftly, and can hide himself flawlessly. I could tell when healing all of you that there was the reiatsu of an enemy on you, but I am at a loss to know whose. And if we cannot tell whose it is, then we cannot know who is targeting Ichigo-san."

"Targeting, hell," Kisuke sighed, rubbing his hands over his face and shaking his head, "They _have_ him, Unohana-san! Whoever this is..."

"We must learn who this enemy is before he strikes again."

"He's already got Ichigo," Kisuke agreed, "and we both know that if whoever this is took him, it wasn't just for the fun of it. Ichigo is powerful. If he was taken, it was because someone wants his power. But why? What for? What is the bastard going to do next?"

"It has already been done," said a deep, solemn voice that made Urahara and Unohana look up in surprise.

"Kuchiki taicho!" Unohana mused, staring at him in dismay, "You should not be...!"

"I had to come," Byakuya explained, "I know I am not yet at full power, but I remembered something important."

"Which is?" Kisuke queried.

"When I was attacked, I caught a glimpse of the hilt of the zanpakuto that cut me...and I recognized it. I knew that, as soon as I woke, I must act quickly to stop the one doing all of this."

"And who is that?" asked Unohana.

"Kyoka Suigetsu."

"What?" breathed Unohana, her eyes widening.

"_Him_?" Kisuke managed, disbelief in his voice, "But...Kyoka Suigetsu crumbled! He was destroyed! He can't be...!"

"Obviously, he somehow survived and his goal is to free Aizen Sousuke!" Byakuya announced.

"Then, what are we doing, standing around here?" Kisuke exclaimed, "We have to get to Central 46!"

A chill ran down Urahara's spine as Byakuya shook his head gently and met their eyes meaningfully.

"I have already been to Central 46," the noble said in a low, angry voice, "And beneath the illusion of what looked to be a normal day of council, I found instead, the site of hundreds of deaths."

"Kami..." Kisuke whispered, his face going white, " Byakuya-san, Ichigo didn't..."

"Ichigo's reiatsu was only sensed in one place...the one place that Kyoka Suigetsu could not have breached without him."

"Aizen's sealed cell door," Urahara managed numbly, reeling as the truth settle over him, "This whole thing, the attacks on all of us, Ichigo's dreams, all of it. It was a way to get Ichigo away from us, and to keep our eyes focused here until it was too late!"

"Aizen has escaped," Byakuya said in a low, furious voice, "and the few councilors who were not slaughtered during the break-in have issued an order for Aizen and Kurosaki Ichigo to be apprehended and returned to the Seireitei to be tried for the escape and all of the murders. Because of Aizen's immortality, he can only be imprisoned upon being subdued. But the penalty for Ichigo's involvement could very well be..."

"Death," Urahara concluded.

"You should also know that because of what happened in the Seireitei, the remaining councilors have also focused their eyes on what has happened here."

"What?" Kisuke asked, frowning, "What do you mean, Byakuya-san?"

"What I mean is that they have placed Ichigo under suspicion for the attacks on all of us as well as those in Central 46!"

"You've got to be kidding," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "Are they insane? Ichigo is the reason Aizen was behind bars! He wouldn't willingly help Aizen escape! That's crazy!"

"They aren't acting impulsively," Byakuya said darkly, making the shopkeeper pause and stare at him in surprise, "Urahara Kisuke, their thinking is that if Kurosaki Ichigo has been overcome and made to work for the enemy, then he must be destroyed!"

"And what about you?" Kisuke asked, looking down at his hands, "Are you going along with them, Byakuya-san? Are you going to kill Ichigo on sight?"

"If I was," Byakuya said in a softer tone, exchanging meaningful glances with Unohana taicho, "don't you think that I would have gone after them immediately and sent a messenger instead of coming here myself? I came to retrieve you and Renji so that you can come with me as soon as you are healed. I also brought my cousin, Tetsuya, and my sister along to assist us in finding Ichigo. We need to subdue Aizen quickly, before he looses the seal on the hogyoku and regains his transcendent power!"

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Kisuke said, surging to his feet.

Byakuya laid a staying hand on the shopkeeper's shoulder to steady him.

"We are not going until you and Renji are well enough," he said reprovingly.

"Then, like he said," Renji's voice rumbled from outside the bedroom doorway, "What are we waiting for? Let's go kick some _Aizen-ass_ and bring Ichigo back home!"

"What are you doing out of bed, Abarai?" Byakuya demanded, "You are in no shape to...!"

"I'm doing what he said," Renji said, glaring out the window, then meeting Byakuya's narrowed eyes again, "I'm going with you to find my friend!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ichigo," a soft, deep voice whispered into the shinigami substitute's confused mind, "Ichigo, please wake up!"

The young man's eyelids fluttered fitfully, then flicked open. He blinked several times to make the blurs around him come into focus. Gradually, the images cleared and he found himself lying naked in a comfortable bed and looking up at Aizen Sousuke's concerned face.

"Are you all right now?" the other man asked, caressing his cheek tenderly, "Do you remember things better now that I have broken through their programming?"

"I..." Ichigo said uncertainly, "I am still kinda confused."

Aizen smiled and kissed him warmly on the mouth.

"That is to be expected," he explained, "When they stole you from me, they planted those memories in your mind to control you. They wanted your powers at their command. They didn't want you to remember me, except as your enemy. But I am not your enemy. You remember now, ne?"

Ichigo looked up into Aizen's affectionate brown eyes, his mind spinning as images of his life with Aizen flashed before his eyes.

"Do you remember now, Ichigo? Do you know who you are to me?" Aizen asked hopefully.

"I remember you," Ichigo confirmed, making Aizen's smile widen, and bringing a pleased shine to the elder man's dark eyes as the two exchanged a long, warm kiss.

"That is good. I was terribly worried for you. The bindings they had on your mind were very powerful. Even now, I will need to infuse you with Kyoka Suigetsu's power, so that you will not be brought back under their influence. You are very valuable to them, so they would go to great lengths to retrieve you. And if they come for you, you must not let them near you. You must kill them on sight, Ichigo...or they will try to hurt us."

"I won't let them hurt you, Aizen-sama," Ichigo said dazedly, relaxing under Aizen's caressing hands and meeting him for a long, deep kiss, "I won't let them near you."

"That is good," Aizen sighed, laying his naked body against Ichigo's and kissing him again, "We have much to protect...our love, the hogyoku...and our baby. But...we are strong, are we not? And...we will not let anyone take our happiness away from us, will we, _Aizen Ichigo_?"


	8. Dark Samurai

**Chapter 8: Dark Samurai**

"This is fascinating," Aizen said appreciatively, looking down at Ichigo's naked body and touching curious fingers to his slim, soft abdomen.

Kyoka Suigetsu's head tilted slightly and he looked back at his shingami master curiously.

"I did a staggering amount of research while preparing my plans, and I came across sealed information on resonances and a carefully suppressed occurrence of breeder males that existed at one time in the noble families."

"And?"

"The breeder males were created after the blood war with the quincies, nearly a thousand years ago. Many women and children were killed, and in their desperation to keep the clans from dying out, several surviving young males were made over to act as chambers to carry new young. They were presented in a gathering of the Noble's General Council and matched other men, based on their levels of resonance."

"I have never heard of such a thing," commented the zanpakuto spirit, glancing down at Ichigo.

"Of course not," Aizen mused, shaking his head, "Although the breeder males were useful...needed, as soon as the nobles' population had increased, the practice was abandoned. But, they discovered that some of the boys born of the original breeder males were breeders also. Some called them an abomination and a group formed that began secretly hunting them down. They were abducted and kept in prisons, tortured and killed...all secretly. To this day, very few know about the treachery of those places, and those who do know, only want to forget. Kuchiki Byakuya and his cousin, Kuchiki Tetsuya are descended of the breeder males, and so it seems, is Kurosaki Ichigo."

"He's a breeder male?" Kyoka Suigetsu mused, staring.

"Yes. And one who has been recently impregnated. I wonder if they knew," Aizen mused.

"I doubt that," offered the spirit, "From what I gathered, the two only just became intimate, and I heard no mention of breeders in their conversations. I went through Urahara's computer files and papers and there was no mention of that in either of those places.

"Hmmm, intriguing," Aizen whispered, studying Ichigo's slender abdomen more closely, "But if he is an impregnated breeder male, then we will need some of the father's reiatsu at regular intervals to stabilize the developing reiatsu cluster. I wonder how we might manage that, given that you became impatient and gave away your moves prematurely, Kyoka Suigetsu."

"I am sorry for that, my master," the spirit apologized, his head bowing in shame, "I was teased with the promise of freeing you and was stymied when Kuchiki Byakuya did not die as I intended. You are right. I became impatient and I endangered the rescue plans. My deepest apologies."

"It's fine," Aizen assured him, "You must have been very distressed at losing our connection. I assure you, I would not have abandoned you, had there been another way."

"Well," the spirit said hopefully, "I hope you will find another way now, so that I will not have to be treated in such a fashion again."

"Oh, most assuredly, after your performance in my rescue, I will not discard you again so readily. And all of the hope you need is right here, in this young man," Aizen indicated, touching Ichigo's face gently, "His powers, even now, just being returned, are exceptional. And I know how to incite even more growth that will offer us a way into the royal realm. Believe me, this time things will be very different. But...right now, we need to focus on taking care of him. It will take time and careful preparation to ready him to play his role. I will lay the groundwork here, and I want you to return to Karakura Town and find Urahara Kisuke. When you find him, do not kill him, or do anything to arouse suspicion. _Quietly_ extract what we need and come back to me. We will have to do this on several occasions, so you will need to use utmost discretion."

"I understand," Kyoka Suigetsu replied respectfully.

"Good," Aizen said approvingly, "Thank you, Kyoka Suigetsu."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Watashi no itoko," Tetsuya greeted Byakuya respectfully, lowering his bright sapphire eyes as his cousin approached him.

"Tetsuya."

"Were you and Urahara-san able to discern anything within Aizen's cell?" the younger noble queried.

"Some," Byakuya reported, "There were no signs that Ichigo was forced to enter Central 46, but that likely means that Kyoka Suigetsu was exerting control over him at the time. Of course, we cannot prove that, as of yet, so we must find more. Were you or Arashi able to pick up a trail?"

"We found several, leading in multiple directions," Tetsuya confessed, "Kyoka Suigetsu is well-practiced in covering his tracks. It is proving difficult, but we will discover which is the true pathway they took, Byakuya-sama."

"I know you will. In the meantime, Urahara Kisuke is returning to Karakura Town with Renji to study reiatsu found at the scene. I will assist you with the search here until we hear back from them."

"You don't think there will be any more attacks, do you?" Tetsuya asked, frowning.

Byakuya sighed solemnly.

"I don't know if we can take that for granted, just because the escape has already taken place," he suggested unhappily, "Now that he has Ichigo and is free of the prison, it is only a matter of time before he renews his resolve to reach the king."

"How will he do that without use of the hogyoku?" Tetsuya inquired.

"I don't know," Byakuya confessed, "but I imagine he will find a way. We would be fooling ourselves to doubt that."

"I agree."

"Come then, where has Arashi gone?" Byakuya asked, looking around briefly.

Tetsuya closed his eyes for a moment.

_Arashi, what is your status?_ Tetsuya queried inwardly.

_I think I have the correct pathway now, _the stallion's wispy voice whispered into the young noble's mind, _I am coming back to you. I will be there momentarily._

"He is coming," Tetsuya announced to his waiting cousin, "He thinks he has the pathway picked out now."

"Good," Byakuya said approvingly, "You and I will explore it a ways, then we will meet up with Urahara."

The two looked up as Tetsuya's lovely black Arabian mount emerged from the trees and moved to join them. Tetsuya climbed onto his back, then helped Byakuya up behind him, the two conversed quietly as the stallion carried them back into the forest and down one of the small trails.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You shouldn't be out of bed, boss," Tessai said worriedly, watching as Kisuke's fingers flew over the keyboard he was working on.

He studied the display on the monitor for several minutes and scowled.

"What are you doing?" Tessai queried, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," Kisuke sighed, "I'm just trying to establish for those fools at Central 46 that Ichigo wasn't in control of himself when he helped break Aizen out. It's stupid that I have to do that, considering all Ichigo's done for Soul Society. They've gotta know on some level it's stupid, but it's the kind of thinking I've come to expect from them, so I can't say I'm real surprised."

"Neither am I," Tessai sighed unhappily, "but I know you will find the proof you need."

"I'm not so sure of that," Kisuke complained, shaking his head, "Kyoka Suigetsu is a brilliant piece of work. He's a good part of the reason Aizen ever had a shot at being king, and he's the only reason that guy is walking free now. I think if we're going to stop Aizen, our best chance is by capturing or destroying his zanpakuto. He's been manifesting, and you know, after that nonsense with Muramasa, I did develop some ways to capture and contain zanpakuto spirits, so maybe if we can find him and capture him, we can throw a wrench into Aizen's plans. He's got to know that with the hogyoku sealed, Kyouka Suigetsu is going to be important."

"What do you think he might do with Ichigo-san, now that he is free?"

"I think it's pretty obvious. If he's got control of the kid, he'll make Ichigo fight for him."

"Boss, you know that will only give Central 46 more incentive to kill him," Tessai ventured.

"Yeah. And the thing is, even if we manage to save him, they still might want him dead or imprisoned. Ichigo's in a world of trouble right now and we need to move if we are going to have any shot at helping him."

"Well, if there is nothing more I can do to help right now, I will bring you some food. You are still healing and you need to build up your strength if you plan to go after Aizen Sousuke."

"What about you?" Kisuke asked pointedly, "You were pretty banged up too."

"I was not slashed twice by Kyoka Suigetsu," Tessai replied firmly, "And I wasn't injured nearly as badly as you. You must take care of yourself, Boss. You will not be able to rescue Ichigo-san if you don't."

"Yeah, I get that. But I also won't be able to save him if I don't move quickly. I know Aizen's going to act swiftly so that he can make the most use of Ichigo and get past the Gotei 13 as soon as possible. I just hope something slows him down a little so that we have time to catch up!"

"But what's going to slow down a devious man like that?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, you have finally awakened," Aizen's smooth voice intoned, making Ichigo blink several times to clear his vision, "You've been sleeping for a long time, but given that your body is working to support your needs and our child's, it's not surprising."

Ichigo's eyes traveled down to his uncovered body and he blushed and started to close his yukata. He inhaled in surprise as Aizen's hands captured his and the former taicho's dark brown eyes looked deeply into his.

"You don't need to cover yourself in front of me. I know every part of you."

His fingertips trailed down one soft cheek and he leaned forward and met Ichigo's lips warmly. He smiled at the younger man's hesitation and nodded briefly in understanding.

"You still don't feel like yourself."

"I don't know myself," Ichigo said uncertainly, looking around the comfortably furnished room he laid in, "Everything is unfamiliar...everything except...you."

"That is a burden," Aizen acknowledged, "I am sorry they robbed you of much of your memory, but we will build new ones together."

"I keep dreaming of a man with light colored hair and grey eyes," Ichigo said suddenly, "He tried to talk to me, and I...feel like I should know him. I try to talk back to him, but I can't. He...tried to kiss me."

"You are likely dreaming about your former _handler_, Urahara Kisuke," Aizen explained, "He did care for you while you were their prisoner. But you must understand that while being a brilliant scientist, he was horridly inhumane. The things he did to you were unspeakable. I am glad your memories of that time are limited."

"But I need to remember," Ichigo objected, starting to sit up then pausing and reeling from the ache in his head.

Aizen sat on the edge of the bed and assisted him in sitting up, then turned to kiss him again.

"You will remember," he assured the younger man, running his fingers through Ichigo's hair, and at the same time, sending fresh flickers of his reiatsu into the deeply controlled youth's mind, "Every day, you will remember more. And when our baby is born, we will begin making even more new memories to enjoy."

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed, brightening and rubbing the small bump on his belly gently, "But, um...um...?"

"_Sousuke_," Aizen supplied, smiling at his forgetfulness.

"Sousuke," Ichigo said, continuing to rub his abdomen, "how long will it be until the baby's born?"

"I estimate the baby will come in a few months."

"A few months? That fast? Really?"

"You haven't asked me yet," Aizen went on, "but you must wonder why you became pregnant."

"I haven't had much time to wonder, really," Ichigo confessed, "but yeah, I am curious."

"The truth is that I am descended of an old, forgotten..._banished_ noble family. The name has disappeared, but it was the peasant Aizen family that concealed my noble ancestors when Central 46 had them banished and their names stricken from all records. But even though they tried to erase us, some of us lived and became a part of the Aizen family. We concealed our connection to that banished clan, but passed along from one generation to the next, the story of that group's treachery. We have never forgotten who we were...or what was taken from us."

Aizen smiled and laid down next to Ichigo, sliding a hand down his chest and caressing his belly as he continued.

"Far back in noble history, in the time of the war that led to the near extermination of the quincies, the fighting became so wicked and so personal that many women and children were slaughtered and the noble clans stood on the brink of destruction. At that time, to keep the clans from dying out, a brilliant scientist from my clan created the first breeder male. The clans lauded the discovery and they happily used the breeders he created to repopulate their numbers. But as their need decreased, some became suspicious of the breeders and looked down on them as being 'lesser males.' Eventually, discomfort and bias became hatred, and the ones that hated the breeders began to kill them. The conflict became so vicious that Central 46 decided to erase both the breeders and the family that created them. This is why my clan was banished."

"Oh my god..." Ichigo breathed, "because of...? But I'm not noble...am I?" the younger man asked, frowning.

"No," Aizen said softly, "But I am. I am a breeder, and all breeders are capable of both carrying children and impregnating other males or females with children. When we made love, it was this ability that made you pregnant."

"But...how does it work? How come the baby develops so fast?"

"The baby remains in reiatsu form," Aizen explained, "It does not need to 'grow' but to 'mature.' That process is much faster than the physical development of a normal child."

"And how will the baby get out?"

When the reiatsu has matured, it will signal your body and the area around the cluster will lose cohesion. The reiatsu will pass easily through the abdominal wall and then solidify into the baby's body. At least, that is how it was described as happening. I only ever read about it, and with the exception of Kuchikis Byakuya and Tetsuya, I know of no other breeder males left alive."

"So, you're not just worried about me being captured by them because they would imprison and hurt me. You think they would..."

"If they discovered you were pregnant, there are still those among them who would hate you and seek to kill you because of it. We must remain concealed here until the baby is born. Only then, can we go back and fight them to make a safe place to raise our child. This will take time, Ichigo. We have to be extremely careful and very patient, although I know patience does not come easily to you."

"Well, I have a real incentive to be patient," Ichigo said, smiling, "I have you and our baby to think about. I won't think about those people who hated me and tried to hurt me. I'll just think about us."

"That is a very good idea," Aizen said approvingly, seeking Ichigo's warm, willing mouth and sinking deeply into it.

He rolled over on top of the younger man, caressing the baby bump as they kissed, then wetting his fingers and sliding them down to prepare him for their joining. Ichigo flinched and his eyes grew uncertain again as the older man's fingers touched and probed him. Seeing his discomfort, Aizen paused and looked more deeply into his hazy eyes.

"I am sorry," he apologized, "I know you still haven't really remembered enough to feel comfortable with me this way. It's just that you are so beautiful...and seeing you carrying our baby is enchanting. I want to be with you, but I'll stop if you want me to."

"It's okay," Ichigo whispered back, blinking to clear his spinning mind, "I'll be okay. It's just..."

"They stole so much from us," Aizen lamented solemnly, "But we will make them pay for that, my love."

He started to withdraw, but gave a sly smile as Ichigo's hands captured his face and made their eyes meet again.

"Don't go, okay? M-maybe being together will help me remember."

But the only stubborn image that came into the younger man's confused mind as Aizen's body took possession of his, was a vision of the grey-eyed man smiling at him and doing to him things that felt not painful, but beautiful.

_What's going on?_

_Who is that guy really?_

_And just who is Aizen Sousuke?_


End file.
